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COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



current reauthorization. The working Group met only twice, how- 

 ever, the last meeting occurring in July 1994. Since then, the 

 federal members from the Office of Territorial and International 

 Affairs and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have 

 informally circulated draft amendments to the Magnuson Act to 

 improve application of the Act to the Pacific insular areas. 



These efforts have been constructive. The federal proposals 

 would allow the governor of a Pacific insular area to request the 

 Secretary of State to negotiate an international fisheries agree- 

 ment for the adjacent exclusive economic zone and to participate 

 in those negotiations. The proposals would allow Pacific insular 

 area governments to operate a permit system for domestic fishing 

 by agreement with the Secretary of Commerce and would encourage 

 cooperative enforcement. Fees under these arrangements would be 

 paid to the insular area government. 



The federal proposals are very positive and would improve 

 fishery conservation and management in the Pacific insular ar- 

 eas. Unfortunately, they have apparently not been approved by 

 even the federal members of the Working Group and the Group's 

 deliberations seem to have stalled. So far as we know, no meet- 

 ing has been scheduled to consider these drafts or alternative 

 proposals with the members of the Working Group from the Pacific 



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